1. Field of the Invention
Hijacking has been a problem for many years, and it is becoming an ever increasing problem after the 9/11 multi hijacking causing loss of many lives, property and economic damages. Not all available anti hijacking methods are perfect or available or fail safe. Safety systems must be multi layer, since none of them are 100% fool proof or different methods are needed in different cases.
Hand carry bag checking by X ray or by security could still miss some contraband items, or some weapons may get on board by service personnel bypassing security. Using lethal handgun on board stunt gun or mace to prevent hijacking may not be allowed by all airlines or governments.
Air marshals are expensive, and they may not be available on all flights.
Chemical spray, stunt or low velocity gun may be usable but could be lethal and there is a chance these devices may fall in the wrong hand and using it in a confined are may not be advisable.
My invention is a non-lethal self-defense system usable by the flight attendants or by the pilots, which can be very effective in case of group of people trying to overtake the plane as it happened on 9/11.
This invention also can be considered as a non-lethal crowd control system in a confined area.
2. Description of the Related Art
Reinforced cockpit doors can prevent most forced, unauthorized cockpit entry as in some prior art U.S. Pat. No. 3,704,845 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,358. Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 3,680,499 uses gas, but this invention became obsolete by invention of the mace. Using gas in a confined area is not the most desirable defense. Terrorists keep on thinking about new ways for overtaking commercial airline with “minimal available” weapons by using more people to over-power the crew. Chambers U.S. Pat. No. 1,428,003 in a bandit trap contraption uses pre-positioned weight traveling from ceiling to a basement, needing a guard to activate it. This system could have been a suitable device 80 years ago for a confined business area with a basement (for dropping pre-positioned weight) to activate the net. This invention also needs a guard for manual triggering. In case of air turbulence false trigger can cause an unintentional human trapping and it is heavy and cumbersome. Pizzo in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,643 describes an anti hijacking system in which an extensive structural changes would require trapping nets below false floor to be installed on the air plane behind the cockpit. Captured would be hijacker than is ejected from the belly of the plane (using a bomb bay) by parachute for a “safe landing”. Try to parachute from a plane flying 4–500 mph over water without oxygen mask, −60 F. temperature from 30,000 feet without a lawsuit and survive it.
Hsich in U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,959 B1 explains an overhead net capturing device for capturing a robber in places like banks, business uses a net dropping from the ceiling, than the inventor hopes for an ideal condition for net closing on the bottom to disable the would be robber, most likely a single one. This invention as it is described, is an unattended system triggered by infrared beams. Barriers would fall from above immediately, not exactly an ideal solution in a confined area in the sky. This invention has no mention of the kind or type of net being used, most type of nets could be cut with knife.
It is easy to see, that most of the prior art systems (using net) has no place on today's flight deck for being too expensive, unworkable, or just for being totally unsuitable for the intended job.
My invention overcomes the shortcomings of these prior arts, it is lightweight for aircraft use, it is safe, non lethal, can be activated by the flight crew or flight attendants, capable to hold several would be hijackers in the same time, strong stainless steel net is used which can not be cut by knife.